Marcellus Shale Press Coverage

NORWICH - An advisory committee on natural gas has for the second time refused to push forward a landowner group's request that Chenango County endorse the New York State Department of Conservation's ability to safely harvest natural gas.

The Central New York Landowners Coalition, which is comprised of large swaths of leased land in Chenango County, some of it already producing natural gas, offered up a resolution for the committee's adoption at the end of last month and again on Tuesday.

Reaction to a story in this morning’s NY Times that the Cuomo Administration wants to move ahead with hydrofracking in selected Southern Tier and central NY counties and only where the local communities wants gas development, was harsh and swift among several Assembly Democrats who are pretty much opposed to the idea of drilling.

A group that includes Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan is sending a letter to Governor Cuomo calling for him to oppose any fracking test- demonstration project in New York State.

Walter Hang, President of Toxics Targeting said 2,300 people signed the letter. According to Hang, the letter is critical of a plan to use a parcel of land to test drill, even before the state might decide to lift the morotorium on fracking.

"These letters are very, very powerful. They're very detailed and they have incredible support from elected officials, scientists, civic and environmental organizations," said Hang.

A letter is on its way to Governor Cuomo asking him to oppose test runs of hydraulic fracturing in the Southern Tier. As our Elyse Mickalonis tells us, Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan says the residents shouldn’t be treated as guinea pigs and more research needs to be done before fracking is allowed in New York.